Staging Atrocity: Theater of the Holocaust

3 units

Responding to the Holocaust has challenged artists working in every medium. Nowhere are these challenges more extreme than in the theater, where the intimacy of the space, the close proximity of live actors and audience, and the subject matter itself may serve to intensify its effect. We will read a careful selection of modern and contemporary dramas and explore the range of responses. Underneath each weekly topic reverberate the nagging question of whether one can -- or should -- make art from the Holocaust, as well as a serious exploration of the uses and effectiveness of theater to communicate on this subject. We look at the ways in which the Holocaust has been used as a subject to raise moral dilemmas, examine the limits of humanity, elicit doubt or faith, and provide political commentary. We will also discuss the ways in which playwrights have stretched the limits of the theater to meet the challenge of staging the Holocaust. Topics considered include the nationalization and personalization of the Holocaust, the role of the second generation, issues of audience, and the use of experimental forms and obscenity. The plays on the syllabus are from North America, Israel and Europe. All readings are in English (original or translation).